Basics part 3

Excitebots: Trick Racing Basics

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Item Boxes

Item boxes drop five varieties of items you can use to get ahead, or hinder the competition.

Teeth

These choppers momentarily slow down the Bot ahead of you -- or behind if you are in first. They auto-track a foe and if they connect, you'll get three stars. If you get chomped, shake the Wii-mote to free yourself. Throw it with A.

Bomb

The bomb tracks a Bot ahead of you, then detonates upon impact, knocking out the bots around it and forcing them to reset. Throw it with A.

Hammer

You get three smacks with this Hammer. A direct hit will decommission a foe. A nearby strike will stun one. Smack away with the button A.

Tambourine

The Tambourine gives you a hefty boost -- but you have to win its simple minigame to get it. Upon activating it, it will give you a short snippet of a beat: "Tok Tokka Tok Tok." Wait a moment, then hit A twice, "Tok Tok." This may be familiar to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" fans as the "Shave and a Haircut" beat. Use this only on an open stretch or risk destruction from an uncontrollable speed boost.

Bottle Rocket

The bottle rocket, when activated with a tap of A, takes you above the fray for a bit. Use it strategically to bypass wooded areas or water.

Other Items

POW

The POW block, a rare item, not only makes you invincible, but also accelerates you to top speed for a period of time. Don't expect to collect any stars during this time.

Leg Running

When you pick up a red wrench you'll transform into a bipedal robot for a period of time. In this time you should look for a yellow-striped ramp which will lead to one of two minigames. Failing that, use your Leg Running time to smash Bots around you. You are invincible in this form, so you can also cross deep water or run through impenetrable sections of trees.

You can also climb stairs on certain levels to reach bonus stars. Leg running can also provide a speed boost. By waggling the Wii-mote at a steady pace, you can boost. This is often essential to get before going off a ramp for a Robot Gliding segment (the butterflies). Yes, it's extremely difficult to make course corrections while waggling the Wii-mote to run, but them's the breaks, kid!